Proposed terror laws released

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Suspected terrorists would be able to ring loved ones but not
tell them they are being detained by federal police under the
federal government's proposed anti-terrorism laws.

The laws would also allow judges to stop suspected terrorists,
or those with knowledge about a possible terrorist incident, from
using the internet or telephones.

The ACT government today pre-empted the federal government,
releasing the 107 pages of proposed laws on the territory's own
website.

State and territory governments signed off on the tougher
counter-terrorism laws last month, but the draft legislation gives
a clear idea of how far the federal government will go in its
efforts to crack down on suspected terrorists.

Australian Federal Police will be able to carry out what are
termed preventative detention orders, effectively locking up people
thought to be involved or to have knowledge of a terrorist act.

Under the preventative detention order system, a person being
held is entitled to contact one of his or her family members and
their employer to let them know they are safe but are unable to be
contacted for the time being.

But they will be barred for saying they have been detained under
the preventative detention order.

The person being detained will be able to contact the
commonwealth ombudsman and a lawyer. But they could be banned from
contacting a particular lawyer if that person is subject to a
prohibited contact order.

Any contact between a person and their lawyer would be subject
to monitoring by the federal police.

The new laws also cover the introduction of control orders on
people.

People will be able to be forced into wearing a tracking device,
and also have bans imposed on where they go, who they contact and
even forms of communication - such as phones and the internet -
they might use.

The laws also contain a possible ban on the use of "specified
articles or substances".

ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope said he released the proposed
laws to encourage community discussion.

Australian Greens senator Kerry Nettle said the draft laws
should never be introduced.